Proposal for amendments to the Regulations relating to alien organisms

The proposal amends the Regulations relating to alien organisms, which were notified on 28 July 2014 in G/SPS/N/NOR/33. The amendments entail that the current prohibition against imports of live American lobsters (Homarus Americanus) is replaced by the general requirement in the Regulations for a permit on strict conditions. The prohibitions in the Regulations against the placing on the market and release of live American lobsters will remain in place. The proposal also includes an amendment to the exemption provision in Section 31, which largely entails that only one of the two preconditions for exemption must be fulfilled in order for an exemption to be granted, rather than both, as is the case at present.